New Life for Old Gem in Chevy Chase

Built originally in the late 1800's, and lived in by only two families, this gem of a historic mansion was in need of a lot of work. The goal of this project was to add central air, renovate and expand 3-1/2 baths, add one bath, add a 2nd level laundry, replace old wall paper, and to combine a kitchen, breakfast room, laundry and butler's pantry into one large farmhouse style kitchen. We also added radiator covers, replaced kitchen flooring, added a mudroom, and added wainscot to the main stair. Finally, we upgraded all lighting and wiring throughout the house. We are about to start phase 2 of the project to restore the windows, new landscaping, painting and restoring the trim and siding for the house and restoring the roofing and flashing. We are also looking to add a side porch and deck. The challenge of this project was to do all of this work, but to keep the soul and character of the house in tact. The owners loved the house as it was, so it was very important to keep and restore as much as possible. In the rest of the house, the owners decided to just add tongue oil to the floors. Fireplaces were kept in tact. Original pine trim and millwork were restored and we added a window seat on the 3rd floor. The further challenge was to do this work, including planning and all interior design in 4-1/2 months. By signing up Hyo Lee and his company Millennium Homes as our contractor from the beginning, we met the demanding schedule. We looked back to the time period and selected finishes and details that seemed appropriate. The client built a large idea book on Houzz which helped throughout the project to make sure we could design to their style. Bathrooms carry a theme of natural marble and stones. The kitchen features an antique oak herringbone floor from Mountain Lumber. Cabinets are inset, with a small bead to emulate antiques in the owner's collection and to maintain the simple details of the existing Butler's Pantry cabinets which we kept and restored. Wallpaper selections were made by the client with help from Mona Berman Interiors.